Camping

When you raise the subject of camping, it is amazing the different pictures that pop into different minds. Some are thinking of campgrounds filled w/ R.V's and Pop-ups w/ full amenities, pools and playgrounds. Others imagine day long hikes to the "middle- of -no -where" with only bologna sandwiches to eat for 3 days. If there is a middle ground.......that's where you will find us.

When Race and I were first married, we camped with the barest necessities, making new roads in his 4wd pick-up, and hiking long distances. Then we had Austin. When he was only 6 months old, we took him on his first camping trip. We did it the way that we had always done it.

Foolishly, Race talked me into camping one time when I was 5 months pregnant. We did not camp for a long time after that! All of those bathroom trips in the middle of the night!! ARGH!! I thought that the tent zipper was going to wear out.

We have funny pictures of us with each of the kids in different back-pack style carriers, in various places. When Jack was 3 and 1/2 he hiked 2+ miles with us straight up to the falls. He wasn't about to let us carry him!

We tent camped, one year all the way to Maine...and back. The entire trip cost less than $300, which we had to SAVE for! (Our most memorable trip yet).

Needless to say, over the years, we have had to adapt and change our camping to best meet the needs of our family. We have become pretty efficient at it. I wanted to put it all here, so that I could preserve some of the stuff that I am bound to forget over the years. This is how WE camp:

We avoid campgounds when tent camping. We find a place that we can drive into, usually beside the river. Our state and area is chock full of these places, so it's not hard to do. We take 3 containers with us.

Old Milk Crate:
hatchet, batteries, extra bulbs for lantern, Lantern, wet wipes, lighter fluid, lighters, matches, coffee pot, pot holder, grill top, insect repellant, tent sealer, tent tape, hammer, nails, 5/50 chord, rubber mallet, clothes pins and first aid kit. This crate is never unpacked, it is just stored in the shed.

Mid-size rubbermaid container:
All non-refridgerated food items. garlic salt, salt and pepper, paper towels, small cutting board, knife, olive oil, coffee, creamer, trash bags, tin plates/cups, extra plastic ware, cooking utensils etc. Only the perishables are unpacked from this crate, it is stored in the shed.

Large cooler:
Obviously for items that need refridgeration. Always includes: eggs, bacon, butter, steaks, sour cream, drinks and then whatever else.

We now have 1 cast iron skillet, 2 tents, 5 sleeping bags, 5 back packs ( each kid gets underthings, swim attire,1 pr shorts,1 pr long pants,1 t-shirt, 1 sweat shirt, and a pr. of socks (this is where the clothes pins and 5/50 chord come in)) We have 5 blow up mattress pads, because you will be sleeping on one giant rock( these are those little thin things that you blow air into, but they roll up nice and tight when you are packing up). I pack a few extra fleece blankets( again, they roll up really tight and don't take up much room but you are really glad to have them if you need them), and a few camp chairs. Race and I are usually the only ones to use the chairs. The kids are always scampering all over, and then when they do want to sit down, they usually just pull up the nearest boulder! Sometimes we take a bag of charcoal, and sometimes we rely on wood only, depending on where we are going. We also pack a few small guide books into the kids packs: Stars, Plants, and Rocks are the three titles for this trip. Race takes care of the compass( of course his watch has a compass AND a G.P.S. (not kidding) and numerous , various weapons ;-).

I suspect we will begin more backpacking-type camping trips now that the kids are getting older. The military taught Race to loathe anything even resembling an M.R.E., so he is not big on the "Only what you can carry on your back" type trips!! But he has set a goal to begin hiking the Appalachian trail w/ Austin, a bit at a time. Sort of a rite-of-passage- type of thing.

So, there you have it. I am looking forward to our camping trip. We will head out early, stopping by the food store for a few bags of ice for the coolers. We will be by ourselves under the stars tomorrow night, listening to the rushing river beside us, with a pot of coffee on the campfire. If you come by, bring your own camp chair or just pull up a boulder. I'll even let you have my tin coffee cup!

Thank-you, Race, for showing us how to camp!

One more thing........

From E.Elliott this morning, a quote:

"Make us masters of ourselves that we may be the servants of others."(Sir Alexander Patterson).

Race is coming home today! We have some time off!

I did get some work done in the garden and I did plant the impatiens along the walkway yesterday. Other than that? Nada. Nothing. Seriously, not the best of days for me.

Starting over today, and trying to regain focus. I have shrugged off my personal Bible reading this week. It shows. Ever feel like the Israelites? God continually bailing you out, showing you in mighty ways that he is the Lord, (I haven't had my enemies killed or anything, but you know what I mean) and then ......whoops! There you go again worshipping those idols! Life is to volatile to willingly allow satan a foothold.

Thursdays are always busy for us, and this one will be no exception. We have lessons, ballet, martial arts, and baseball. But Race will be home in time for the baseball game, so all is well.

Thanks for the prayers,
I have a ton to get done today, so I'd better get rolling. And I have a grumpy teen who is scavenging around in our kitchen as if he has forgotten where we keep the food. Grrr.

Cheers!
Melissa

Day two, with nothing interesting to say. Today is our work/free day. It rained all night, so it is really wet outside. But my intentions are to work in the garden, plant some impatens along the front walk, and get one of my flower beds mulched. I am still ignoring the INSIDE of the house and it's need for attention.
Race is going to get a few days off coming up. We are trying to plan a family trip. It looks like we will be going camping in the mountains. We are scouting for good places to put in the kayak and canoe. Our family has outgrown our tent, so it looks like we have become a 2 tent family. We are taking the bikes too. I am looking forward to the time with Race, but I have to admit it is somewhat bittersweet. In the back of my mind, I know that this is just the prelude to being apart for a long time. Hmm..must push that aside. As Scarlet said, "I can't think about that right now. I'll think about that tomorrow".

So, we need the time together as a family, and he needs the time to clear his mind and relax before heading off.

Congratulations to Q for his awesome graduation from preschool!! Way to Go! The pictures are just adorable. He looks so big.

Austin was chose to be on a special demo-team for Martial Arts. It is called the S.T.O.R.M. TEAM. Which stands for Special Team Of Role Models. They get to learn all kinds of cool stuff in martial arts like nunchucas, knives, etc. for special demo's. They are being VERY strict about who gets to be on this team, and character counts BIG TIME. But, anyway, they have this demo that they will be doing in June called Black Belt Extravaganza. Jack was trying to remember the name of it, and he said, "You know, at the Black Belt Extermination". He cracks me up sometimes!

Have a good day!
Melissa

Home school

Warning: If you aren't interested in home schooling, skip this post! It is a record of our day.

I had been having a hard time lately trying to mesh together everyones school schedules. I have tried various curriculum and methods over the years, but always go back to the classical method of schooling. I like this method because among other things it gives the childs (and the parents) brain, a real work out every day. Learning is challenging and rewarding. You are not going to develop a hunger for learning by filling out a bunch of workbook pages, kwim?
This is how we do it:

We start out the day together at the dining room table, after breakfast and chores-(chore charts are working great!). We have prayer, say all the books of the Bible (Jack and Savannah are still working on these), and then we do a Bible reading. We have a memory verse each week that is written down in their notebooks. Then we read from Vos's Bible Story Book, and the Childrens Bible Handbook. Can't say enough good things about these books together! After this and usually some discussion, we go over memory work. Currently, we are learning all of the Kings/Queens of England. The older two write these out for their notebooks. At this point in the day, we split up.

Savannah works on a spelling/language arts workbook, handwriting, and Spanish. Austin works on his spelling/lang. arts workbook, Spanish, and then goes over his Latin vocabulary. I work with Jackson on phonics, reading, and math. My youngest has the attention span of a grasshopper, so this really doesn't drag.

After this, it's math for the older two. We use Math-u-see, so while I go over the video and the lesson with one, the other one works on flash cards and waits their turn. Jackson runs free like a banchee at this point. While the older two work on their math lessons, Jackson will be lassoed and tied to his chair ;-) to work on his spelling/lang. arts workbook and handwriting.

After this I go over the Latin lesson with Austin via DVD.

At this point it is usually lunch time. During lunch we listen to The Story of the World dvd for history. We are on the Middle Ages. Everyone loves listening to this, as it is history in story form chronologically. The older two write a summary/ outline on what they heard. Jackson does a narration that I write down. These all go in their notebooks. We do summary/outline on Monday. On Tuesdays we do map work for the period in history, place dates on a timeline, and Jack usually likes to do a coloring page for that subject for his notebook.

After lunch they run free like wild indians again for a bit.

After lunch Jack still has Spanish to do, then he is free.
Savannah will finish grammar and reading (King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table right now) .
Austin will have reading (just finished Animal Farm by Orwell,(a new favorite) and is moving on to King Arthur), finish up any work from the morning, and then he and I do Logic together (probably his favorite subject right now). They must write summaries on all of their literature reading as well. And lest you think that we don't do any science....we do. Mondays and Tuesdays are history, Thursdays and Fridays are science (mostly reading and summaries at this point).
The older two are both avid readers and always have titles that they are reading on their own in addition to what they read for school. Jack is well on his way, and LOVES books. We fit in several read-a-louds throughout the day from our library pile, and he goes to bed at night listening to a book on tape (Chronicles of Narnia right now).
So, that's how it goes. And that's the ONLY way that it goes. In between subjects, I do laundry, pay bills, do meals etc. What do you think? It has been difficult to try to work Jack in with the other two, but this system seems to be working well. If you have read this far, thanks! I'd love to hear opinions and any suggestions (except "put your kids in school woman!") you might have!

Have a great day!
Melissa
Oh-and yeah, 24 was awesome last night!!!!!!!!!!

We had a good weekend, but it was way too short! I really, really, really was not ready for Race to leave yet. He will come home again some time this week, and then he will begin preparations for another long trip on the other side of the globe. We miss him so much. We are tossing around the idea of trying to meet him in Europe in between trips. Planning the logistics and timing of these things is SOoo hard because of the unpredictable nature of the job. In other words, the kids and I could find ourselves sitting in airport somewhere in Europe getting a call from Race saying that the plans have changed and he can't make it. I'm a big girl, though right? I could do that couldn't I??? Hmmm. I don't know. (How will we ever win the Amazing Race, if I can't get around, ya know?)
We had an interesting snake incident. I was hauling some brush over to a pile that we had made a few days ago in the woods. Just as I was about to add to the pile, I hear something squealling loudly. I start looking, but can't see a thing. It's loud. It's right THERE, but I can't see it. To make a long story short- a bit later, I take Jack down to see if he can see anything. I squat down to show him exactly where I was when I heard the small animal. I stand up, move back, and see that less than 12 inches above my back, where I was bent down, was an enormous black snake, stretched out on some small branches, that were bending under his weight. How I did not knock into him when I stood up, I have no idea. He was lying in the sun trying to digest the large meal that I had so rudely interrupted before. (Judging from the size, and the noise, probably a rabbit). Yikes. I am o.k with black snakes as long as I know where they are. I really don't think I'd want one surprising me by becoming a head ornament! Needless to say, Jack was mesmerized and watched him until he headed deeper into the woods.
Savannah had her first dress rehearsal for the Petrushka ballet. I am so impressed. We are really looking forward to seeing this on stage. Very professionally done. And Stravinsky's music is just so beautiful.
Race and the boys, literally played baseball all weekend. They had a blast. They needed that. Race could not be more proud of Austin, and how well he is playing. And Jack is coming along right after him. Race could just pop!
We are going to try to hit the library today, and then Savannah has a dance class later this evening. As I was gathering our basket of library books, I noticed a title that had escaped me at the checkout. Jack had apparently picked up a large picture book entitled "Brain Surgery for Beginners". Yeah. O.K.
Prayers going out for mom, and for Dy's little boy James. Here's hoping that everyone gets some good news this week!
Gotta run,
Melissa

All hail the power of garlic! My voice still sounds like I'm trying to kick my "pack-a-day" habit, but all of the soreness is gone, and I am feeling much better. Ever hear of garlic tea? Sounds gross, I know. But, man will it knock out a sore throat! And you know it works if even my kids would drink it for their sore throats! It soothes your throat instantly.
ooooooooooo.....Does this make me a homeschooling herbalist? ACK!
Well, school lessons yesterday were somewhat less than inspiring, but that's why we do it year 'round; because life does happen, in spite of the best laid plans. The kids all got to their activities somehow (it's kind of a blur). Thank-you to Thomasina for picking up Savannah from ballet and teaching her art lesson. Savannah really looks forward to this time.
I took the boys to martial arts yesterday, and did not go inside. I was feeling really bad, and still had no speaking voice. Wouldn't you know it? Everyone wanted to come out to the CAR and talk to me yesterday! ugh. Embarrassing. The other parents and the coaches there are all such super nice people. After their class, I took the boys to the Tropical Cafe' for dinner. They both got sandwiches and I got a smoothie with banana, o.j. and emer gen C in it. (thanks Dy)
I was pretty much comatose by the time that we got home yesterday evening. The kids were great about helping me. Especially Savannah. How on earth did I have such a sweet child? Seriously, next to Savannah, I am an unmerciful ogre. (O.K., next to a lot of people I am unmerciful ogre, but you get the point).
Race is coming home this evening. We are looking forward to that SOOooo much! I have realized that I am married to a visionary. This is true. For Race, there will always be something bigger, something better. He is one of the most motivated individuals that I have ever met. Heaven help the person who tells him "No, you can't..". If you say' "can't", well, then it MUST be done. He is also a team player. Race LOVES "the team". He lives and dies for "the team". This is how he views us, his family.....as a team. We are all working together to try and move forward. To be useful to God.
This is how it works for us. Yes, I am married to a visionary. I am just hangin' on for the ride. And you know what? For all of it's ups and downs, I really wouldn't have it any other way. God has blessed us in so many ways through hardships; Showing us that we are stronger than we thought we were; Showing us what is REALLY important in this life, and opening our minds to things that we never dreamed of before. So, today has me counting my blessings and realizing how merciful God has been to me. What a mystery God's grace is.

So we are looking forward to the weekend. Austin has a baseball game this weekend, and Savannah has a dress rehearsal for the Petrushka ballet. PLUS Jack intends to twist Race's arm to go and see the Monacon Indian Pow-wow. Race is dying to get his kayak in the water. We'll see how everything goes.

Thanks for the comments, y'all. Dy, the thing about the deaf people with the paper roses had me in the floor laughing! And Emily, don't expect happy compliance with that child labor. Mom, I had totally forgotten about the nickle-a-pair thing with the mis-matched socks!! Bwahahaha! I'll bet that I never made the first nickel! P.S.-PLEASE, don't share this with my entrepreneurial son!
Have a great weekend everyone! (I like to think of a large crowd listening to me)
Melissa

Well, yesterday was Wednesday. We WORKED. I have all of the sore muscles to prove it. Savannah had a list of chores to complete inside (at her request-poor girl wilts in the heat) after she and Jack got our yards picked up for mowing. She did a great job doing walls, doors, windows, and tubs, as well as some other odd and end jobs thatI just never seem to get to (am I the only one who has a basket of socks that need sorting in their laundry room?) The boys and I worked outside ALL day. I started the day with my FIRST load to the dump at 8am and we did not come inside until 7 pm. We mowed, we gardened, we tilled, we dug, we cut, we hauled.....and then we did it all some more. After supper, I took everyone to Sonic for ice cream. That's when I realized that I was getting sick! Yep, that's right. NO SLEEP last night, throat on fire, and I have NO VOICE today. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to teach with NO VOICE? So, if you call me today- I can't answer. (sigh) But, our place looks really great outside! And I worked the kids so hard, that they were saying things like, "Ya know, I kinda like doing school".
Not sure what today will end up being like. The kids have ballet, art, and 2 martial arts classes. Hopefully I can avoid anyone trying to speak to me today while we are out. How embarrassing!
Have a great day!
Melissa

Best Buddies! Lookin' for critters at Mam-maw's.

Note the shoes! That's Race catching.

More baseball

We had a good weekend with Race. He got to see Austin show his stuff on the ball field. (Austin played an incredible game on Saturday. ) He got to see Savannah at her ballet rehearsal. She was thrilled. AND he got in lots of play time with Jack. It was good and on Sunday, we went to see our local minor league baseball team play a game. It rained, but they played, and we watched. The boys caught a few foul balls, and even managed to get a few signed. We all enjoyed the weekend. Unfortunately, he had to pack up his suitcase and leave at 2:30 A.M this morning.
We have a full day today with lessons, library (cough up a lung for my fines), dance lessons, and a baseball game. I running late this morning already, so I'd better hop to it. The kids have all emerged and have begun to reak havok in the kitchen. I'd better take the helm and steer this day in the right direction or we shall surely wreck it early on and accomplish nada!
Have a great day!
Melissa

Well, Emily, you were right. Jack's fever is gone, but he woke up with a sore throat. He is feeling much better, because he is talking my ear off as I type. I mean really talking. As in constantly. He has already had a myriad of gross questions related to the workings of the human body and sickness. Then we jumped to questions about the workings of the K-9 body. Yeah. I'll spare you the details. Among other subjects this morning, Jack has stated that when he has children (he would like 4 of them) he will name them all Bible names. He is certain that the name Williams goes back to William the Conqueror. "Ya know those orange trash bags on the side of the road? That's bad guy trash". "Have you ever noticed , how, on cartoons there is always a fat guy and a skinny guy?" He is still talking. Right now.-"What type of snake do you know that is yellow?"- As I try to type. -" If you keep on cracking your elbow, like you crack your knuckles, will your elbow get big?"- Barely taking a breath.- "Mom, look at my elbow bone."
Um. It's not even 8:00 am!

Lessons went well yesterday. Covered William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings. We will begin trying to memorize all of the Kings/ Queens of England today.
We got Savannah and Austin to their activities, while Jack and I stayed in the car all afternoon. We left the house at 3:30 and did not return till 7:30. I am SOOooo thankful for my suburban. Jack laid down and played nintendo, or watched a movie. I read and did some school stuff. So, we made it through the day.

Race is planning a day to take Austin to Washington with him. He will have to be in sport coat and tie, and take a few things to work on in the office if Race has to be "out". But among other things he will get to meet the next Ambassador to Spain! He is really excited about being able to go.

Well, Jack is STILL talking. "Have you ever seen a corn snake?" "How do you think the corn snake got it's name?" "Does it eat corn?" "Is it because it's yellow?"

AHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great day!
Melissa

Poor Jack

Jack played all day yesterday in the only speed that the child has: overdrive. At dinner time, he went to the table, looked at his food, and got up from his chair and collapsed in the floor. Now, this in and of itself isn't very unusual for a child who is prone to dramatics. I figured that he was tired. I told him that he could go and lay down in my bed. He did. Immediately. Now, THAT's when I knew something wasn't quite right. Within 15 minutes, he was sound asleep, and didn't wake up until this morning. He has had a fever since about 9 pm, and is still sleeping deleriously in aforementioned bed right now. Wierd. No other symptoms.
So, I have one sick, feverish child and two others who have full activity/social schedules this afternoon. In addition, I will need to get through school lessons with the older two. It's gonna be a busy day folks!
Have a great day everyone!
Melissa

Oh- and- MY GARDEN IS GROWING!!!! (squeal) (It takes so little to amuse and excite me these days)

We had a good day yesterday. We needed one. We are one weary family. Our lifestyle right now, with Race being gone all of the time is showing wear on all of us, particularly on Race. I wouldn't say that we are in forward motion,(at least it doesn't feel forward), but a more apt description would be hanging on the side of a jagged cliff by your fingernails and toenails praying that a breeze doesn't come along! Nevertheless, God is faithful. We see God's blesssings to us. As a family, we are all still of one mind, on the same team, and seeking the same goal........and THAT means a lot when the going gets tough!

We stopped our lessons for lunch, and I picked up some subs. We headed down to our creek for an impromptu picnic. It is so beautiful down there! We went for a walk and found all sorts of beautiful wild flowers and shrubs in bloom. I am amazed at how much my kids know about wild plants and herbs. While we ate our lunch on the bank of the creek, Jack was hopping around on all of the big boulder-sized rocks and in and out of the water like Gollom. It was fun.

We headed back up, finished our lessons, and then on to Martial Arts. When we pulled up, large boys came pouring out of the Martial Arts studio and descended upon our suburban. In a flash most of the doors were open. Austin's friends were glad to see him, and they were all joking and clowning instantly. There is always a wave, or a "Hey Mrs. Williams!" for me. As they loudly tumbled out of the car with their huge bags of gear, my boys waved to me. Austin held open the studio door, while Jack was carried in "sack-of-potato" style, by one of the other boys. Ahhhh.....good stuff.

Savannah and I did some shopping while they were in class. One of the things that I had to get was drawing paper. We had run out of paper, and I swear ,I thought that Savannah was going to start drawing on the walls!! After we got home, we ate dinner and quickly got outside for the last bit of the day. The kids played, while I worked in the garden.

Lastly, we all stayed up and watched The Amazing Race. Race called (he was watching too)and we had a running commentary on the phone while watching the show. I have said it before.....we could SO win that money!

So, there you have it!
On the agenda for today is Savannah's art lesson. While she is there, the boys and I will be working at home, in the yard. It is BADLY in need of attention!

Enjoy your day!
Melissa

Whatta Day!

Well, we had a long, but wonderful day yesterday. We spent the day with the family. Quentin was feeling a little better, and his fever had gone, so Em, Todd and the boys all got to be there too. Jackson and Q had such a great time playing together. Jack revels in his roll as mentor! I had the best time playing with Walker. He is such a cutie, and at that super fun age toddling around exploring everything, repeating phrases, and VERY independently expressing his OWN opinions! Dad cooked thick steaks on the grill like only Dad can do, and I think that Mom enjoyed having everyone at the house together (Race is still gone, though). Em got to do some fishing....ALONE (part of her Mothers Day, she LOVES to fish.) Before we left for the drive back home, a big soccer game broke out, with Aunt Thomasina and Jack on one team, and Austin and Savannah on the other. Not sure who won, but it sure was LOUD!
We start our school lessons again today after taking a much-needed month off. So today will be filled with reading, and math, and Latin.......and OOooooo a new Logic course for Austin that I am REALLY excited about called "The Fallacy Detective". Logic is indeed perfect for the questioning 13 year old mind!
Race is coming home for the evening, and will be able to catch Austin's baseball game tonight. Somehow, in the midst of dance class and 6:00 baseball game, I need to be sure to fix a good home cooked meal for my extensive traveler. Hmm..Not sure how I'm gonna work that.
We had a great Mothers Day, and we will be saying special prayers for you today,Mom.
Have a wonderful day!
Melissa

Happy Mothers Day!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Mothers Day. The weather is absolutely beautiful here! Yesterday, two huge hanging baskets spilling over with beautiful petunias arrived for me from Race and the kids. They look beautiful hanging on the porch.

Today we will be heading north to spend the day with my Mom. Dad is cooking for us. Yay! Thomasina is driving up,too. Emily is home sick with Quentin (poor little guy), but hopefully Todd and Walker will come visit anyway. We are all looking forward to it.

Gotta go, we have a lot of driving to do today. We have to come back home tonight, because school starts again tomorrow. Race will be able to come home for the evening tomorrow ,too, and he will be able to catch Austin's baseball game.

Have a great day.
Melissa
Get Better Quentin!! We'll miss you today!

We're home!

We are trying to get unpacked and settled back in. Race flew out again. We start school again on Monday.

Strange happenings here though. We returned home to find 2 tiny baby rabbits, dead in our yard (untouched), and a HUGE black snake coiled up in one of our bird houses (Jack was thrilled).

We made it to Austin's baseball game last night, but other than that all three children have been strangely comatose ever since we got home. Evidence of a good time at Mam-maw's I guess. There have been stories of lemonade stands, fishing, beaver sightings, snake sightings, park exploring, new friends.....shew! No wonder they are so tired.

I caught Jackson trying to feed Scout (1 of our choc. labs), a listerine pocket strip today. Yeah. That's not good for dogs to eat those.

I had a message from Dy on my phone. They have arrived in AL. I'll be returning her call soon, and can't wait to hear all about their adventures!

Not one seed has germinated in the garden. Why? Well, because seeds won't sprout in arctic temperatures. This is Virginia!!! It's May!!!! Oh well, I made vegetable soup today, and that seemed to help. (shrug)

Got some great pictures today from college friends Tyler and Michelle. Don't you just love to see the families of old friends? I love to get that kind of email!

Well, the boys have Martial Arts today. I need to get off my kiester and get something done....but....I can not articulate just how much I DON'T WANT TO!

Have a good day!
Melissa

A Snapshot

We are on the 34th floor overlooking Biscayne Bay in South Beach Miami. The hotel is equipped with 3 restaurants, an enormous gym,an outdoor running track, an outdoor heated pool (with towel service and cabanas), spa, etc. The funny thing that you notice about South Beach, right away, is that anything goes. There is no standard. You can not overdress; you can not underdress. As you walk outside the hotel, and past the valets, you step onto the boardwalk. You can walk down past the fountains, and the park, where they have live entertainment every night. Next to the bay there is a large area with sand, palm trees, and chairs (under each tree). You could sit here for hours and just watch. The breeze is always coming off of the bay, the sun is hot, and the palm trees are rustling. Sounds exotic, but remember this all surrounded by huge sky rises, and concrete. The culture is an amazing mix. As I sat reading, under my own chosen palm tree, I saw people walking back burdened with large shopping bags from elite stores; I saw business people taking their lunch under their own chosen palm tree; and right next to them a man digging through the trash for someone's discarded, half eaten sandwich or unfinished drink. There are businessmen on their cell phones, couples on vacation, waiting for their cruise ship to leave, and there are homeless people sleeping on the grass. And of course there is an enormous majority of Latino's. Everyone speaks Spanish. It is odd to see all of this together, I mean right next to each other. Anything goes. We have had wonderful meals; I had my first Cuban coffee; we have shopped, we have laid in the sun, and we have worked out in the gym. The hotel staff will cater to your every whim, (and will charge you triple for each one). Once you get used to all of the people, you realize that you have to make your own privacy, and then it it is all quite relaxing.
Race and I have been able to spend some time together, and now, his work is done until we reach home. We are trying to work it out so that he can see the kids for a night before he has to catch his next flight. I have been able to get my lesson plans done for the rest of the school year. I am really missing the kids, and can't wait to see them. BUT-This is NOT a place that my children would enjoy much. You could really drop a lot of $$$ here, very quickly, and people do. I can't help thinking......use that money and got to Hawaii, for crying out loud!
I am glad that Race and I took this opportunity, and even with him working for part of the time, we have gotten to spend time together. And from the looks of things, he will be gone right through August. Ugh.
Well, I writing from The Club in the hotel. I am going to do a quick blog run, check emails, and then I will write again when I am settled back home.
Chow! (We ate Italian today)
Melissa

sun, sand and mimosa's

I'm here! I will let you know how everything is going later.
Have a great day!
Melissa